Death Waxed Over - Tim Myers [16]
I couldn’t think of anything more to say, so I said, “If there’s anything I can do, let me know, okay?”
Jubal shook my hand. “That’s quite kind of you, Harrison. I may take you up on your generous offer later, after I’ve had a chance to find out where things stand. Thank you for stopping by.”
I was at the door when Jubal said, “I just thought of something. It’s probably nothing, but we got the strangest telephone call yesterday. It upset Gretel quite a bit.”
“Do you know who was calling?”
Jubal shook his head. “No, but I did hear something Gretel said. I’m not even sure I heard her correctly, I was standing six feet away. As I said, it’s probably nothing.”
“What did she say?” I asked.
He hesitated, then said, “I remember thinking how odd it was. I could have sworn she said, ‘I’m not your wife,’ but Gretel never married. I must have misunderstood her.”
“Well, if you think of anything else, let me know.”
Jubal said, “Am I correct in assuming you’re looking into what happened to Gretel yourself?”
“I need to clear my name,” I said simply.
“Of course, I understand. I’m willing to help you in whatever way I can, Harrison. Believe me, I know from experience that rumors can be fatal.”
Chapter 5
When I got back to my apartment at River’s Edge, there were twenty-seven messages waiting for me on my machine. I couldn’t face listening to them, though. I grabbed a jacket and headed up the secret hatch tucked away in my closet. As I climbed the rungs to the roof, I was glad no one else in the world had access to my hideaway. With twilight fading, the air was shifting from brisk to downright cold on the rooftop overlooking the Gunpowder River, but I was willing to put up with the plummeting temperatures to get away from the world for a while. I took out my lawn chair from the storage box and grabbed a heavy blanket. The wind had blown out the clouds, leaving a night sky filled with stunning starlight. We were far enough from Micah’s Ridge to avoid most of the direct illumination, and when Pearly and I had installed lights around the complex, I’d made sure none of them interfered with my stargazing. Thinking of Pearly made me wonder what my handyman had been up to lately. The fact that he’d been dating and supporting my main competition was something I had a hard time getting used to. I’d thought Pearly was one of my staunchest allies at River’s Edge, always there when I needed him, but I was beginning to wonder if I’d misplaced my trust in him. Had that been what he’d wanted to talk to me about at the fair? Was he having a guilty conscience about his relationship with Gretel? I wasn’t sure how I was going to act toward him after the revelation that he’d been dating her. If I couldn’t trust Pearly, then who could I trust? Who could I talk to about the churning issues stirring in my mind? As I sat there mulling over my dour thoughts, I began to think that solitude might not be the best thing for me at the moment. So where was there to turn to for a willing ear? I would have knocked on Markum’s door, but he was away on one of his mysterious salvage and recovery trips. There was Millie, the woman who so ably ran The Crocked Pot. She was a good listener, but no doubt she was off somewhere enjoying time with her husband George. Heather had shown signs of roller-coaster reactions to things that had happened in the past, so I really didn’t want to discuss the day’s events with her, and Gary Cragg was a man I doubted I’d ever be able to trust. Sanora, our resident potter, was becoming a friend, but I still didn’t know her well enough to open up completely. Erin was off on an expedition, leading a group of rafters on a trip down the New River in West Virginia. I’d met her the first time I’d tried a kayak at her business, and there was definitely a spark between us, but that didn’t mean I could bare my soul to her just yet, either. That left my mechanic and friend Wayne, but he was giving all of his attention lately to the new lady in his life. Though I’d acquired an entire new roster of friends with the addition of River